The Atlanta Homeward Choir Inc

Atlanta Homeward Choir 

Empowering the Homeless Through Music, and Inspiring the Housed to Action 

Mission

The Atlanta Homeward Choir works to bring together people from every background and belief system who have ever battled homelessness, using music and performance as a vessel to uplift, encourage and instill a sense of community in its participants. 

Purpose

• To provide a community of support for those experiencing housing insecurity through music
• To lift confidence and self-worth through acceptance in a supportive environment through performance and shared experience 
• To help those experiencing these difficulties find a source of stability amidst instability through community in the musical arts.

The Atlanta Homeward Choirs is a welcoming, non-profit 501(c)3 arts organization which organizes and runs a group of choirs in Atlanta, GA. Pre-Covid 19, our Concert Choir came from the Central Night Shelter, downtown ATL, our Women's Choir from City of Refuge, our Youth Choir from Covenant House and our Community Choir from St. Francis Table Soup Kitchen at The Catholic Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. This year, post-covid, we are working to rebuild our community choir and our concert choir. With your help, in time we can get back to running a full schedule of programs again. 

Too often, Atlanta streets are filled with men, women and youth experiencing homelessness.  Many in this situation often have no connections to others and are frequently isolated.  Offering these persons a place to come together in community in a supportive environment lifts self-worth and can reaffirm an individual’s belief in himself or herself as a productive human being, worthy of dignity and respect.  Increasing self esteem can help persons re-establish themselves as productive citizens.  The Atlanta Homeward Choir provides such a place by utilizing music as a shared experience.  Choir members regain their sense of purpose and re-discover translatable life skills to rebuild their lives including responsibility, time management, dependability, goal setting and meeting expectations. 

Founded in 2013 by Donal Noonan,  Director of Music at The Catholic Shrine of the Immaculate Conception,  The Atlanta Homeward Choir has sung the National Anthem at the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Braves games, performed at the White House and The Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. and has been featured on the NBC Nightly News, in the Washington Post and other news outlets. 

Funds donated to the Homeward Choir allow the choir to continue programs, expand programming,  perform concerts and to build and maintain valuable partnerships with other local organizations assisting in the area of housing insecurity and the issues that cause it.  

An example of the partnerships formed includes its 2017 educational collaboration with Georgia State University’s School of Music which provide mutually beneficial outcomes for both GSU graduate students and The Atlanta Homeward choir members which continues today, 4 years later. Other partnerships have included working with Atlantas PCCI, The Center for Civil and Human Rights, Fulton County, City of Atlanta, National Alliance for Music in Vulnerable Communities and Atlanta's, Challenge the Stats. 

Contact 

www.atlantahomewardchoir.org 

Dónal Noonan, Executive Director

donal@atlantahomewardchoir.org